


Like... Magic

by PontiusHermes



Series: The Emancipation of Credence Barebone [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, Credence Barebone Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Emotionally Repressed, First Meetings, Gen, Gentleness, Help, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Kindness, Magic, Physical Abuse, Repression, Sad, Sweet, care, non-romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-06 21:50:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8770693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PontiusHermes/pseuds/PontiusHermes
Summary: Credence meets (the original) Graves for the first time.





	

He had first seen the young man emerge from the New Salem Philanthropic Society, hands scarred with bleeding, healing and healed cuts. He found out later they were from Credence's own belt, from the hands of his adoptive mother (if 'mother' could even be used to describe her). Head down against the wind, but more against the gazes of passers-by, he carried a stack of leaflets emblazoned with warnings of witchcraft. Graves watched Credence approach, eyes drawn to his suffering with a longing to help. The alleyway in which Graves stood was a short-cut to another busy street in need of warning, and Credence turned down it.

Credence was startled by Graves (who soon found Credence far easier to startle than he should have been). The young man jumped; leaflets spilled from his hands. Instinctively, Graves (wandlessly and non-verbally -- skills of a highly trained wizard) summoned them into a neat pile in his own hands, shocked as he did so by the irony of magically retrieving anti-witchcraft leaflets. He thrust the pile into Credence's hands and drew his wand to obliviate him when he saw the mixed fear and longing on Credence's face.

'You do it too…' Credence murmured, forgetting to be shy in his moment of wonder and looking Graves straight in the face. Graves paused with his wand raised.

'What do I do?' he asked gently.

Credence smiled disbelievingly. 'You just make things happen, like… _magic_.' He seemed to thrill at the pronunciation of the word. 'I…-' his smile turned to an expression of horror. 'I have to go.' Graves later understood the younger man feared being seen talking to a wizard, but at the time he dreaded releasing a possible No-Maj with memory of what he saw and acted accordingly.

'Stop.' His voice was commanding but measured. Credence cowered. Graves let his tone become more gentle. 'It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to obliviate -- modify your memory.'

'Please don't,' Credence pleaded. 'I've never met someone like me before, and I probably never will again, and my... mother can't take away a _memory_. Please let me keep it.'

Graves considered him carefully. 'You do things like that? Magic things? Can you show me?'

Credence blushed. 'It only happens if I'm angry, or scared, or something.'

Graves smiled gently. 'And you're obviously not allowed… What's your name?'

'Credence. Barebone.'

'Pleased to meet you, Credence-' Graves frowned suddenly. 'What happened to your hands?'

Credence blushed more deeply. 'Nothing. It's, uh, a punishment. I did something wrong.'

Graves looked disapprovingly at the hundreds of pale scars. 'No-one,' he said quietly, 'should do that, for any reason, to any person.' He produced his wand and healed the fresher cuts, fading them to white traces. 'Credence,' he took a breath, 'If that ever happens again… or when it happens… or if you need help, or want to ask something about magic, come and find me, OK? I'll be here if I can.'

Credence gave a flickering smile. 'Thank you.'

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> There *may* be more?
> 
> Pontius


End file.
